verb
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to find the explanation for or solution to (a mystery, problem, etc)
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maths
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to work out the answer to (a problem)
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to obtain the roots of (an equation)
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Other Word Forms
- presolve verb (used with object)
- solver noun
- unsolved adjective
- well-solved adjective
Etymology
Origin of solve
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English solven, from Latin solvere “to loosen, free, release”
Explanation
To solve something is to find a solution, like figuring out the answer to a complex riddle. The verb solve is often used in mathematics, and it means to answer a math problem. You can solve other, non-mathematical problems too — like the question of what to wear when you've run out of clean clothes (your sibling's clothes!). The word solve originally came from the Latin solvere, which meant "to loosen or untie." If you think of any kind of complex problem as a knot, then the original definition of solve still makes sense!
Vocabulary lists containing solve
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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"Kids Are Inventors, Too"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
If the Tillis-Alsobrooks compromise sticks, it would solve a major problem keeping the bill from proceeding and could trigger the Senate Banking Committee to vote on the bill as soon as this month.
From Barron's • May 2, 2026
“We’ve heard stories where they promise that they can solve their immigration problems for them. No real lawyer is ever going to promise an outcome to you.”
From Salon • May 2, 2026
"There has been an intense effort to solve the mystery of gamma-Cas across many research groups for many decades. And now, thanks to the high-precision observations of XRISM, we have finally done it," says Yaël.
From Science Daily • May 1, 2026
“The impact of a one-time tax does not solve an ongoing structural challenge,” he told the news outlet.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026
The credit default swap would solve the single biggest problem with Mike Burry’s big idea: timing.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
